Welcome to Oakland
Oakland is one of the most vibrant and diverse cities in the country. Renowned for its artistic and cultural richness, thriving dining scene, and leadership in environmental sustainability, it’s a highly desirable place to live, attracting people from all over the world.
Located just 20 minutes from San Francisco, in the geographical center of the Bay Area, Oakland enjoys a warmer climate than its West Bay neighbor. Its landscape includes vast parkland with towering redwood trees, babbling creeks and miles of hiking trails, as well as Lake Merritt, a large tidal lagoon that connects to a beautiful waterfront.
Oakland real estate spans the gamut, from the restored Craftsman bungalows of Rockridge to the stately Tudors of Crocker Highlands and the colorful Victorians and lofts of West Oakland, offering something for everyone. Transportation-wise, Oakland residents have plentiful options, with an international airport, major freeways, bus lines, BART, bike lanes and a free downtown shuttle. To make it even easier to get around, the city expanded its bike- and car-sharing options in 2017.
In such a large and ethnically diverse city, where 400,000-plus residents speak more than 120 languages, there is no shortage of cultural amenities to draw your attention. The city’s world-class attractions include an internationally acclaimed museum, ballet, symphony and zoo; two grand, Art Deco-style performance venues; and the A’s majorleague baseball team. Every first Friday of the month, throngs of people flock to the city’s hugely popular art walk, Art Murmur, and accompanying street party, First Friday. Oakland is also home to a large LGBT community and, in recent years, has attracted an influx of tech companies, helping usher in a wave of new restaurants, bars and boutiques.
The city’s neighborhoods are as diverse as its population, with charm and uniqueness permeating every corner.
Crocker Highlands
Directly south of the city of Piedmont and east of downtown Oakland is the charming community of Crocker Highlands, also referred to as Trestle Glen. The remaining trestles that can be found in some of the homes here pay homage to the old commuter rail system that used to service many East Bay communities.
The woodsy glen of Crocker Highlands/Trestle Glen is ideal for those who love traditional architecture and mature gardens. One of Oakland’s top elementary schools can be found here as well.
Nestled along curving roads, Crocker Highlands and Trestle Glen real estate includes a variety of Craftsman, prairie, and neo-Mediterranean-style homes from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s, many designed by famed architects Julia Morgan and Bernard Maybeck. In fact, many Crocker Highlands residents belong to the Lakeshore Homes Association, the secondoldest homeowners association west of the Mississippi, which is dedicated to preserving and increasing the “wonderful natural beauty of [each] property.”
Nearby conveniences include a variety of lively shops and restaurants in the Grand Lake/Lakeshore area.
Dimond
An American named Henderson Luelling planted the first cherry orchards, a German family named Rhoda owned the most land, but it was Hugh Dimond, a wealthy Irish businessman, who gave this Oakland district its name when he purchased land and settled there in 1867.
The gently rolling terrain, the views of the Oakland hills, the pleasant weather and the easy access to downtown via the trolleys drew many settlers, including many Germans, to the area once known as Upper Fruitvale. By the 1890s there were so many beer gardens along the streets of Fruitvale and MacArthur that the district could have passed for a town in Germany. Visitors from San Francisco came by ferry to pick
cherries, drink beer in the summer sun and enjoy the hospitality of a number of resorts, including the fanciest of the bunch, the Hermitage, which boasted dancing girls and an authentic French chef.
These days, the Dimond district is on the upswing. Its local improvement association rallies to the motto “involvement builds community,” and the friendly and well-organized community has attracted many businesses.
Some of the local schools include Fruitvale Elementary, The Renaissance International School, Redwood Day, Sequoia Elementary, and Bret Harte Middle School. There is also a branch of the Oakland Library, and just east of the library is the beautiful Dimond Park, a lovely wooded grounds in the midst of urban excitement that plays host to a great community picnic every July and a recreational center with swimming, tennis and children’s activities.
Glenview
The close-knit community of Glenview is one of the treasures of the East Bay and has been one of Oakland's most popular neighborhoods for decades. On its long list of assets are oldfashioned mom-and-pop shops, grassy parks, tree-lined streets, colorful bungalows, a strong sense of community, and convenient freeway access.
The homes of Glenview's real estate are modestly sized, charming Craftsman and California bungalows built during the 1920s. Many of these homes have been lovingly restored and feature updated kitchens and baths, while others are waiting for you to bring your own decorating flair. Typical features found in these homes are formal dining rooms with built-ins, living rooms with tiled fireplaces, polished oak and fir floors, redwood decks, brick patios, and flowering gardens.
Nestled between the neighborhoods of Oakmore and Trestle Glen and the City of Piedmont, Glenview enjoys an abundance of surrounding stores and services, including the quaint shops of nearby Montclair Village.
Glenview’s main street, Park Boulevard, contains a small but charming commercial district where a Saturday afternoon of errands may include catching up on neighborhood news with the local dry cleaner and chatting with neighbors before heading over to Dimond Park for a barbecue or swim at the public pool.
Montclair
Nestled amongst the pine trees in the upper Oakland hills, the friendly Montclair District maintains a refreshing and laid back mountain atmosphere reminiscent of Mill Valley in Marin County. Winding streets dotted with trees and gardens bursting with flowers lead to large homes hidden among mini-forests that look out over the distant bay.
Adding to its rural appeal, Montclair is tidy, very residential, and decidedly a bedroom community, yet exciting enough for the active crowd. Close to many East Bay parks, it offers endless biking and hiking opportunities to enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery. Montclair's real estate runs up and down the canyons, and the architecture is designed to showcase the natural character of the area. Some lot sizes can stretch into acres. Styles of homes range from large Craftsman bungalows, shingled cottages, and Prairie homes, to period revivals, ranch, and split-level style homes from the 50s, 60s and 70s.
The storybook tour of Oakland continues daily down Mountain Blvd. at the Oakland Library Montclair Branch. This beautiful building offers a cozy and magical children's reading room for storytime. The original 900-square-foot library was built in 1930 in the Oakland hills, about half a mile from the just emerging Montclair Village. To meet the rising demand for children's services, two additions have since transformed Montclair Library into a busy 3,900 square foot branch serving a well-established, bustling community.
Other attractions include the Chabot Space and Science Center, a cultural arts center, a weekly farmer's market, a delightful public park offering fun for everyone from toddlers to tennis players, and annual street fairs in the village center.
Piedmont Pines
To the casual visitor, Piedmont Pines might appear to be part of Montclair or, even more vaguely, the Oakland Hills. Hilly and wooded, it is certainly part of Oakland, but residents and neighbors will quickly point out that Piedmont Pines is a very specific and well-defined
neighborhood.
The Piedmont Pines Neighborhood Association has been active since 1941. Membership is limited 1,350 homes, and it is voluntary. Most of the area is separated from Montclair on the north by the Shepherd Canyon and Girvin Drive. Clear boundaries are marked to the west and south by Highway 13 and the huge expanse of Joaquin Miller Park. Served by the commercial district in Montclair Village, Piedmont Pines real estate consists exclusively of single-family homes. The residents are proud of their community accomplishments like getting the utilities put underground, saving open space areas, enacting a view protection ordinance, and improving their local schools.
To learn more about this neighborhood with a rural-like setting, and to discover whether your home or one you want to buy, is truly in Piedmont Pines, go to
http://www.piedmontpines.org.
Upper Rockridge
It’s no wonder that Upper Rockridge is one of Oakland’s most desirable neighborhoods. It offers winding streets, sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay and impressive houses in an array of architectural styles.
Nestled between Rockridge’s Broadway, Highway 13 and the Montclair district, Upper Rockridge offers close proximity to highways, BART and some of Oakland’s finest shopping and restaurants. Much of this area burned in the Oakland Hills firestorm of 1991, which led to an overall facelift for the neighborhood. The larger wooded lots were replaced with grander homes staggering the hillside to compete for the coveted Bay Bridge and Campanile views. Most of the homes were constructed in the last two decades, but still boast the traditional architectural styles admired by Bay Area residents: slate gabled tutors, sprawling Mediterraneans and Craftsmans.
The beauty of the area is flanked by the Claremont Country Club to the northwest and Lake Temescal to the north, offering ample weekend activities within walking distance to Upper Rockridge residents. College Avenue’s restaurants and shops are a mere half-mile from most addresses. It is also home to one of Oakland’s finest K-8 elementary schools, Hillcrest, which plays an important factor in maintaining the value of Upper Rockridge's extraordinary real estate.
Lower Rockridge
At the foot of the Oakland hills, east of Telegraph Avenue and north of 51st Street, Rockridge blends classic American with Old World charm. Rockridge is what many consider the ideal Oakland neighborhood. With its "let's get outside" atmosphere, this neighborhood has an exemplary public transportation system combined with a very pedestrian-friendly layout, making commuting easy and local exploration fun and relaxing. BART and bus lines vein through the community and several freeways feed you to the Caldecott Tunnel, Bay Bridge, East I-580 and South I-880.
Living here, you are definitely in the mix and close to it all. Rockridge is known for its fine dining and eclectic restaurant scene, boutiques, and pubs. College Avenue in the evening is a wonderful place to be greeted with the glow of thriving restaurants, the chatter of friends gathering, and the gentle hum of BART.
College Avenue boasts many restaurants, cafes, vintage and collectible shops, as well as the only Dreyer's Ice Cream parlor, attracting locals and tourists alike.
Established streets are lined with appealing bungalows and pre-war homes with wood built-ins, vintage details, and expansive gardens. Many of the wonderfully restored homes that make up Rockridge real estate date from the first decade of the 20th century to the 50s, with some of the earliest reaching back to 1909. The Arts and Crafts-style home, however, is the architectural poster child for this area. Clinker brick chimneys, halftimbered or cedar shingled facades, beamed ceilings, and dark oak built-ins are characteristic of many of the fine old residences in this neighborhood. This is the perfect spot for balancing an urban lifestyle with the enjoyment of a backyard.
Popular with young families and stable, long-term property owners, Oakland's scenic neighborhood of Redwood Heights brings together the best aspects of a suburban bedroom community with the convenience and variety of a major metropolitan area. Redwood Heights emanates a strong sense of community and family. Many families move in and stay for generations, lending to little neighborhood traditions like popping into Hunan Yuan for an occasional dinner, purchasing hand-crafted gifts from Pot-Pourri and taking in Lincoln Square, which has remained relatively unchanged for the past 25 years. Another anchor is the Redwood Heights Elementary School, a top-performing school that has been educating the area's youth since 1949.
Redwood Heights real estate consists of small but stylish 2-3 bedroom residences distinguished by their diverse architectural appeal. While the styles vary from contemporary to classic, the one feature many of the homes share is stunning day and night time views of the sparkling San Francisco Bay. The community loves the Redwood Heights Recreation Center because it offers a great range of programs for tots, teens, and kids in-between, including gymnastics, guitar, karate, ballet, beading and cake decorating. Classes for adults include aerobics, ballet stretch, Tai Chi, yoga, karate, folk dance, and music. Avenue Terrace (AKA Jordan) Park is another popular recreation spot that offers swings, basketball hoops and a play structure.
Bordered by Highway 13 and Interstate 580, just above Mills College and the Laurel District, home to Holy Names University, Redwood Heights is central to the best of the Bay Area.
Temescal
Temescal began as its own little village, eventually choosing to incorporate with Oakland and is now one of the city's oldest neighborhoods. Construction on Highway 24 caused some unsettling but the refreshed community is enjoying a residential and business revival.
A local art cooperative and a public pool offer an array of classes and workshops. An annual street fair displays Temescal's cultural variety and gives those new to the area a chance to meet neighborhood merchants and business owners. Temescal's population can be found frequenting local staples such as Bakesale Betty, famous for its fried chicken sandwich and addicting cookies. Recently gaining the nickname "Oakland's Gourmet Ghetto," Temescal's restaurant scene includes Burmese, Japanese, Cuban, Eritrean and Mexican to name but a few. The Craftsman bungalows and early 20th century architecture of Temescal real estate was just one of the many reasons This Old House magazine picked Temescal as one of their 51 best old-house neighborhoods. With its active local business and friendly locale, this is one area not to be overlooked.
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